One of the things I like about my job is consulting with safety professionals on how to improve their safety communication.

I get to review monthly safety themes and safety articles for the company newsletter and proffer suggestions for improvement. Often, a complete overhaul is required.

Safety professionals are great at the technical, but struggle when it comes to packaging information for other people to digest. Sadly, just because you find restraining loads very interesting, doesn't mean others will automatically share your enthusiasm.

Recently, I was talking to a safety consultant who told me about a business he visited a while ago that had staff handling pieces of wood with multiple nails sticking out, while not wearing gloves.

Every day these employees were constantly subjecting their hands to pain, yet, no-one complained.

What's interesting about human behaviour is that when we are in physical pain the body will learn to adapt and avoid it.

Think about the last time you had a sore tooth. You automatically started eating on the other side of your mouth.

In this company where people were ignoring the daily pain of work, they just got used to it because everyone else was doing it and nobody protested. Management was okay and would have been open to suggestions (provided enough people let them knew of the issue).

Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers. Essentially, it's an ongoing process of establishing a prescribed impression or image in other people's minds about yourself.

In today's world of social media, personal branding is becoming increasingly important. But it's not just your Linkedin profile that you should be worried about.

For over 13 years, I've been self-employed. What I like about working for myself is that I'm not victim to workplace politics. In fact, having to battle egos in the workplace everyday was one of the reasons I started my own business.

Shawn Kent Hayashi, is a communication expert and author of
Conversations for Creating Star Performers, a wonderful new book that offers a roadmap showing how managers can leverage conversations into game-changing moments. She is an executive coach, trainer, best-selling, author, speaker & CEO of The Professional Development Group LLC. Currently, she is an executive in residence at Lehigh University.

Recently, I interviewed Shawn to find out what communication tips she has for general managers, supervisors and safety professionals about how to improve their safety coaching and leadership communication skills.